1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector for electrically interconnecting a complementary electrical connector with an electrical interface such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the trend toward miniaturization of electrical components, accurate orientation of the electrical components in an apparatus becomes increasingly problematic. The reliability of the apparatus depends in large part on the precision with which the electrical components are oriented therewithin.
FIG. 6 shows a typical FPC connector 6, which comprises a dielectric housing 60, a plurality of terminals 61 received in the housing 60, and a slider member 62 slidably inserted in the housing 60. A plurality of terminal-passages 600 is defined in the housing 60, the terminal-passages 600 receiving the corresponding terminals 61 therein. In use, an FPC board 5 is inserted in an opening 602 defined in the housing 60. The slider member 62 is then inserted in the opening 602, for enabling conductive pads of the FPC board 5 (not shown) to mate with corresponding engaging portions 610 of the terminals 61. A soldering portion 611 of each terminal 61 is soldered onto a printed circuit board (not shown). Thus electrical engagement between the printed circuit board and the FPC board 5 is attained.
Over time, the FPC board 5 may be repeatedly inserted into and removed from the housing 60. After a time, the slider member 62 and the housing 60 at the opening 602 are liable to become worn, with the slider member 62 only loosely engaging with the housing 60. Thus electrical engagement between the printed circuit board and the FPC board 5 is prone to be unreliable. If a new connector 6 is needed to replace the worn connector 6, the worn connector 6 must be unsoldered from the printed circuit board. Heat generated during the unsoldering process is liable to damage the printed circuit board and adjacent electrical components thereof. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,695,359 and 5,741,154 disclose connectors having similar problems to those described above.
In order to overcome the above problems, Japan Patent Publication Numbers 2000-106235 and 11-233212 disclose an FPC adaptor connector. The adaptor connector electrically interconnects with a complementary connector and an FPC board. The complementary connector is soldered on a printed circuit board. The adaptor connector mates with the FPC board by the same means as described above. If a slider member of the adaptor connector is damaged, the entire adaptor connector is replaced by a new adaptor connector without removal of the complementary connector.
Referring to FIG. 7, an FPC adaptor connector 6xe2x80x2 of the kind described above comprises a housing 60xe2x80x2, a base 63xe2x80x2 mounted on the housing 60xe2x80x2, a plurality of terminals 61xe2x80x2 received in the housing 60xe2x80x2 and the base 63xe2x80x2, a slider member 62xe2x80x2 slidably inserted in the housing 60xe2x80x2, and an actuator member 64xe2x80x2 pivotally mounted on the housing 60xe2x80x2.
An island 65xe2x80x2 is defined in a middle of the housing 60xe2x80x2. Two rows of terminal-passages 651xe2x80x2 are defined in longitudinal opposite sides of the island 65xe2x80x2. Slots (not shown) are defined in the base 63xe2x80x2, corresponding to the terminal-passages 651xe2x80x2. A plurality of spacer 652xe2x80x2 is formed on the opposite sides of the island 65xe2x80x2, each spacer 652xe2x80x2 separating two adjacent terminal-passages 651xe2x80x2. Each terminal 61xe2x80x2 has a first engaging portion (not shown) and a second engaging portion (not labeled). The first engaging portion is received in a corresponding slot, for engaging with a contact pad (not shown) on an FPC board. The second engaging portion is received in a corresponding terminal-passage 651xe2x80x2, for engaging with a corresponding mating contact of a complementary electrical connector mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown). Electrical engagement between the printed circuit board and the FPC board is thus attained.
However, each spacer 652xe2x80x2 is essentially a parallelepiped-shaped block, without means for preventing the corresponding second engaging portions of two adjacent terminals 61xe2x80x2 from deflecting away from the corresponding side of the island 65xe2x80x2. Thus the second engaging portions of the terminals 61xe2x80x2 are liable to be bent or displaced outwardly from the sides of the island 65xe2x80x2. If this happens, during insertion of mating contacts of the complementary electrical connector into the FPC adaptor connector 6xe2x80x2, top ends of the second engaging portions are liable to interfere with bottom ends of the mating contacts. Both the terminals 61xe2x80x2 and the contacts are liable to be damaged in this process.
Additionally, a distance between two adjacent spacers 652xe2x80x2 is greater than a corresponding width of each second engaging portion, and greater than a width of an engaging portion (not shown) of each mating contact of the complementary electrical connector. If the mating contacts are themselves not precisely positioned in the complementary electrical connector, during said insertion of the mating contacts, engagement between the terminals 61xe2x80x2 and the corresponding mating contacts is reliable to be misaligned. If this happens, secure electrical engagement may not be attained, and open circuits may be created. As a result, electrical connection between the adaptor connector 6xe2x80x2 and the complementary connector is unreliable.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that securely locates terminals in a housing thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector able to securely and reliably receive mating contacts of a complementary electrical connector therein.
To fulfill the above-mentioned objects, an electrical connector of the present invention comprises a second housing, a first housing mounted on the second housing, a plurality of terminals received in the first and second housings, a slider member slidably inserted in the second housing, and an actuator member pivotally mounted on the first housing. An island is formed in the first housing. A plurality of spacers is formed on opposite side surfaces of the island respectively. Each two adjacent spacers and the corresponding side surface cooperatively define a terminal-passage. Each terminal has an engaging portion received in a corresponding terminal-passage. Two retention portions are formed on each spacer. Each retention portion is configured with a slanted guiding surface and a positioning surface.
With this structure, during insertion of the terminal into the corresponding terminal-passage of the first housing, the two opposing retention portions of the terminal-passage prevent the engaging portion of the terminal from moving between the retention portions and the corresponding side surface. Thus the terminal is securely located in the terminal-passage of the first housing. Moreover, the adjacent opposing guiding surfaces of the terminal-passage guide insertion of a mating contact of a complementary electrical connector until the mating contact is received between the two opposing positioning surfaces of the terminal-passage. Thus the mating contact is securely and reliably received in the terminal-passage.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: